Cresswell impressed in recent years at Portman Road, missing just four league games over the course of the last two seasons for the Championship club.

Having started his career at Tranmere, Cresswell moved to Ipswich in 2011 and after completing his move to West Ham he will experience Premier League football for the first time in his career.

The news comes on the day West Ham's current crop returned for preseason training, where Allardyce posed for pictures with his two summer recruits to date -- striker Mauro Zarate and defensive midfielder Cheikhou Kouyate.

Having finished 13th in the league last season, Allardyce has been assured of his position by club owners David Sullivan and David Gold after a minority of Hammers fans began to vent their frustrations at the perceived negative tactics of the former Bolton and Newcastle boss.

With 14 clean sheets in the Premier League, West Ham's survival was based on a sound defensive unit but Allardyce has been keen to add to his numbers at the back, with Cresswell becoming his third addition ahead of the forthcoming campaign.